{"podcast":{"title":"Quick Book Reviews with Philippa Hall","slug":"quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832","podcast_index_feed_id":183832,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59","website_url":"https://play.acast.com/s/quick-book-reviews","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/1735832732838-15640c7a-3144-49ba-9bc0-a59a401d1e9a.jpeg","author":"Philippa Hall","episode_count":476,"summary":"Thousands of books. No time to waste. No spoilers. Ever. Quick Book Reviews — your twice-weekly reading companion with host Philippa Hall What it is Quick Book Reviews is a spoiler-free book podcast hosted by Philippa Hall, published every Monday and Friday. Philippa reads widely so busy readers don't have to guess — delivering honest, enthusiastic, bite-sized reviews alongside in-depth author interviews and a friendly window into the publishing world. This is a warm, welcoming show for readers who love books but don't have time to read everything — and want someone they trust to help them choose what's next. Format Spoiler-free reviews : Fast, honest breakdowns of new releases and upcoming fiction Author interviews : In-depth conversations with novelists about plot, character, and writing craft — from global names to indie debuts Publishing insider news : Literary trends, BookTok and Bookstagram highlights, and behind-the-scenes publishing gossip Genres covered Crime · Psychological thriller · Cosy crime · Contemporary drama · Dark academia · Rom-com · Historical fiction · Horror · Romantasy Ideal for Readers with an ever-growing TBR pile · Book club members looking for their nex…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T04:19:55.610709+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832"},"episode":{"title":"Why Sports Romance Is Booming: Bella North on Oakwood Ranch, Spice Levels and Pen Names","slug":"why-sports-romance-is-booming-bella-north-on-oakwood-ranch-spice-levels-and-pen-names","published_at":"2026-04-27T00:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/why-sports-romance-is-booming-bella-north-on-oakwood-ranch-spice-levels-and-pen-names","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832","url":"https://shows.acast.com/quick-book-reviews/episodes/why-sports-romance-is-booming-bella-north-on-oakwood-ranch-s","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6087d3aca4a81031ba098a59/e/69de4b50f02f2470e928becd/media.mp3","summary":"In this episode of  Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by  Bella North  to talk about her  Oakwood Ranch series , beginning with  Score to Settle . Bella also reveals the story behind her different author names, having previously appeared on the podcast under her thriller-writing identities. Together, they chat about  sports romance ,  writing under multiple pen names , the rise of  spicy fiction , and why readers are falling in love with the Oakwood Ranch books. Philippa also shares reviews and first impressions of several recent reads, including a brilliant new crime novel from  Simon Mason , thoughts on  The 10:12 by   Anna Maloney , and an early look at  The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage . In this episode: Bella North on the inspiration behind the  Oakwood Ranch  series Why  sports romance  is having such a major moment Writing romance after psychological thrillers The pros and cons of publishing under  different pen names How much sport is really in a sports romance novel Spice levels in fiction and why they are so subjective Why romance readers are such a passionate and supportive community Bella’s ideal writing retreat — and her nightmare writing scenario The reality of balancing events, deadlines and creative energy Books discussed as reviews and in the interview: Score to Settle  – Bella North Game Over  – Bella North Playing for Keeps  – Bella North The Dangerous Stranger  – Simon Mason The 10:12  – Anna Maloney The Heir Apparent  – Rebecca Armitage The Nanny  – Heather Burnside The Bridge Kingdom series  – Danielle L. Jensen What to expect This is a conversation about: romance tropes enemies-to-lovers friends-to-lovers escapis…","meta_description":"In this episode of Quick Book Reviews , Philippa is joined by Bella North to talk about her Oakwood Ranch series , beginning with&…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2592,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/episodes/why-sports-romance-is-booming-bella-north-on-oakwood-ranch-spice-levels-and-pen-names/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/quick-book-reviews-with-philippa-hall-183832/why-sports-romance-is-booming-bella-north-on-oakwood-ranch-spice-levels-and-pen-names.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}